Word Study for H103 (אָגַר) | Strong's Concordance

ʼâgar /aw-gar'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto harvest

KJV usagegather.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼâgar — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʼâgar, represented by H103, is a primitive root meaning to harvest or gather. It appears only 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible. Though rare, its usage provides a potent metaphor for diligence, wisdom, and the consequences of obedience or disobedience.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the book of Proverbs, H103 is used to illustrate the value of foresight and hard work. A wise son is one who gathereth in summer, contrasting with the son who sleeps during the harvest and brings shame Proverbs 10:5. This theme is reinforced through the example of the ant, which gathereth her food in the harvest, providing for her needs in advance Proverbs 6:8. In Deuteronomy, the inability to gather is presented as a curse for disobedience; the people are warned they will plant vineyards but will not be able to gather the grapes, for worms will eat them Deuteronomy 28:39.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help frame the context of gathering:

H7105 qâtsîyr (harvest): This word refers to the time or the crop of the harvest. It is the critical period when gathering must occur, and sleeping during the harvest is a mark of shame Proverbs 10:5.
H7019 qayits (summer): Defined as the harvest season, summer is presented as the opportune time for a wise son to gather his provisions Proverbs 10:5.
H7919 sâkal (to be... circumspect and hence, intelligent): This term is directly linked to the act of gathering. The son who gathers is described as a wise son, indicating that preparation and diligence are acts of wisdom Proverbs 10:5.
H1121 bên (son): This word establishes the familial and moral context for gathering, where the actions of a son reflect wisdom or shame upon his family Proverbs 10:5.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H103 is centered on the principle of cause and effect in a moral universe.

Wisdom and Diligence: Gathering is equated with wisdom and foresight. The ant is presented as a model of diligence, preparing its meat in the summer and gathering its food in the harvest Proverbs 6:8. This act of preparation is what defines a son as wise Proverbs 10:5.
Blessing and Cursing: The ability to gather the fruits of one's labor is a tangible sign of blessing. Conversely, planting a vineyard but being unable to gather the grapes because of destruction by worms is a specific curse for disobedience Deuteronomy 28:39.
Moral Contrast: The word is used to draw a sharp moral line between prudence and sloth. The one who gathereth is wise, while the one who sleeps during the harvest causes shame, highlighting that inaction during a critical time has significant consequences Proverbs 10:5.

Summary

In summary, while H103 is used infrequently, it carries significant moral weight. The act of gathering is more than a simple agricultural task; it is a benchmark for wisdom, diligence, and character. It illustrates a core biblical principle: that provident action leads to blessing, while sloth and disobedience result in loss and shame.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Qal Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 1×
Qal Perfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×

Singular: One.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Proverbs (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

Deuteronomy

Proverbs

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.